Hearts Under Fire
by golden perfection
Summary: The Mockingjay Games is an imitation of The Hunger Games, but with the Capitol children. Following Amorose Snow, president Snow's granddaughter, in her fight for her life, we will find out if the Capitol citizens are really as shallow as we think.
1. I Fought the War, but the War Won

My name is Amorose Snow. I am the granddaughter of President Snow. I am eighteen years old. My hair is the color of a red rose, my lips the color of blood. My best friend is Rhinestone Flaire. He is eighteen also. We have been best friends since we were three. We are in the Mockingjay Games together. We were reaped. Our luck . . . is gone.

And that's all I can do to keep myself from breaking down as I enter the arena. I repeat those sentences in my head at least three times. It just doesn't even seem possible that I'm in the Hunger Games. No. I'm not in the Hunger Games. I'm in the Mockingjay Games, which is almost the same, except it bares the Capitol's children. And we don't get mentors, we won't get sponsors, and we definately won't see those silver parachutes that can mean life or death.

I can now see the arena. It's a dense forest and the other tributes and I seem to be in the middle. A vast clearing is where the Cornucopia is this year. Twelve backpacks lay in the center of the clearing. Weapons are scattered across the area. Dozens of trees are cut down and build almost a fence-like structure around the large circle of tributes. The elevator tubes begin to open and slide into the ground from which they came. Wind wisps through my hair and a cold, freezing shiver runs down my spine.

Capitol children are not forced to watch the games, though we do study them . . . a little.

The countdown. That's what she forgot. She tried to run before the gong. We studied the countdown in first grade, was it? I force myself to look to my left. A girl, seventeen perhaps, lays on the ground seizing. Every single tribute stares at her as the life drains out of her. That could have been me. That could have been anyone.

"Five," The anouncer says. The voice is everywhere, echoing, booming, but the girl's cries of pain are still overpowering. I don't even hear the anouncer say four. "Three," The girl continues to struggle, screaming and gasping for breath. I stare at her in horror. I want to help her, but if I do, I'll be just like her. And then what help could I give? "Two," I want to look around at my oponents, look for Rhinestone, but I can't. I can't help but gawk at the girl. She died so soon. No. Not yet, that is. She isn't dead yet. And I guess it was her own fault, but she didn't even get a chance to fight. She didn't get a chance to save herself. "One." The girl's screams are cut off abruptly as the gong sounds. No one moves. No one runs or does anything. The boy to the left of the girl who just died, the boy right beside me, falls down dead. No struggle, no scream, nothing. And then, everyone runs.

Twenty-two capitol children run towards the Cornucopia. I set my sights on a bulky green pack. It doesn't look too heavy, but hopefully something good is inside. Children scream battle cries around me. I jerk my head in all directions, trying to find Rhinestone. I can't find him; my vision is obscured by wisps of my red hair. Rhinestone and I agreed the day after we were reaped that we would be allies. We would be together from the very beginning. He could protect me and I could protect him.

I am halfway to the pack that I want, when I fall. A girl jumps on top of me, a large knife in her hand. Terror is written all over her face and regret already manifests in her mind and eyes. "I'm sorry," she says, tears beginning to form. "It's what I have to do." I scream. I scream for Rhinestone. I kick my legs and thrash my arms trying to pry the girl off of me. "Stop it!" she shouts, all sadness quickly vanishing from her face. Anger and rage is born in her and she glares at me, just now remembering that her life depends on taking mine. She takes her knife in her left hand and begins to run it along my cheek. "None of us would be here if it weren't for your -"

Suddenly, Rhinestone materializes above the girl. He grabs her by the shoulders and flips her, slamming her into the ground beside me. Her knife cuts along a section of Rhinestone's forehead as he flips her, but he manages to take the knife. "Go!" Rhinestone orders. I run back to the Cornucopia, all the other tributes too busy wrestling and fighting and killing to pay attention. I realize nothing has been taken from the Cornucopia yet. I grab the green pack I want and I scan the pile for anything else that may be of use. Before I can pick anything else up, Rhinestone runs by, grabbing my shirt, pulling me to my feet, taking my hand, and pulls me along.

"What did you do to her?" I ask him after we've ran for at least twenty minutes. I throw the pack onto my shoulder. He doesn't answer. "Rhinestone!"

"I killed her, Rose." he says, shame, regret, and disgust laced through his voice. "Now come on. We have to get as far away from that place as possible. There'll be a bloodbath and when it's over we shouldn't be close." Rhinestone squeezes my hand, reasurring me that everything is alright. That he is still the same boy from the Capitol. But we'll never be the same. We'll never be the same.

As we run, the words the girl said spin in my head, repeating themselves over and over again. She may not have finished her sentence, but I know very well what she was going to say. None of us would be here if it weren't for your grandfather. She's right. I hear that a million times in my mind. It makes me dizzy and nauseous. I stop in my tracks, jerking Rhinestone back as he is completely oblivious.

"What are you doing?" he asks.

"I just . . . We should look and see what's in the pack. I think we are far enough away from the Cornucopia. We can keep moving once we're done." Rhinestone looks at me for a while, one eyebrow raised, then sits. He pats the ground beside him and I sit, our shoulders touching. A small creek flows by where we are, a peaceful sound in a war-like disaster zone.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Rhinestone, I'm in the Hunger Games." I shake my head. "The Mockingjay Games. I'm a Capitol child. I shouldn't be here. None of us should."

"It's alright," Rhinestone says, wrapping his arms around me. I realize just how much I've missed him. We hadn't talked much since being reaped. It all seems like a blur now . . .

_The new Peace Keepers were Rebels. They were all over the Capitol, telling us where to go, keeping us in line, keeping us from saving ourselves. Rhinestone and I had walked home from school, like we usually did, followed by a large band of Peace Keepers. Lord knows the former president's granddaughter would be the first to make a move. Rhinestone and I stood in front of my doorway; tears flowed from my eyes like a downpour. Rhinestone pulled me into his arms, telling me that it's alright. The Reaping was only hours away. I wore melancholy like a coat that day. _

_The Peace Keepers barged through our doors five hours later. They pulled my arms behind my back, and then my little sister's behind her back. They nodded towards my parents to follow them. As I was being dragged out of my house, I saw Rhinestone, who lives just down the street, being escorted out of his home along with his two little brothers. They looked scared. So very scared. Rhinestone looked at me, screamed my name; he nodded quickly and mouthed something. Before I could do anything, I was yanked in the direction of the Capitol building and Rhinestone disapeared from my vision._

_The Capitol building was adorned in banners and gigantic televisions. The Rebellion Seal - a mockingjay on fire - was on each screen. Banners read "Welcome to the Reaping" and "First Ever Mockingjay Games". They were so proud of themselves. They thought they were better than the Capitol, better than my grandfather. They're just as worse, if not, more._

_As soon as all the Capitol children ages twelve to eighteen were arranged in two groups - boys and girls - Katniss Everdeen walked onto the steps of the Capitol building. She stood in front of a clear ball filled with small papers. Every paper had the name of every Capitol child. Somewhere in that pile was my name. Somewhere in that pile was Rhinestone's name. Katniss Everdeen, heavily pregnant, smiled and began to speak._

_"Welcome everyone to the very first Mockingjay Games. As you all know, The Hunger Games were broadcast across all of Panem for 75 years. Each year, 24 children, two tributes, a boy and a girl from each district, were sent into an arena where they fought to the death. It was an almost never ending bloodbath, but the Capitol was so generous as to let one tribute win. The Capitol has managed to ruin billions of lives, and for that, they must pay. This year, we will be having The Mockingjay Games. For those of you who don't know, it's The Hunger Games with the Capitol children. But of course it can't be exactly the same; let's let the tributes figure that out on their own. I will now begin to call the names of the tributes. If your name is called, please, calmly walk onto the steps." Katniss raised her arm and lowered it into the Reaping Ball._

_I looked through the crowds for Rhinestone, but I didn't see him. Katniss called a name that I didn't recognize. I watched as a twelve year old girl with blonde hair draped into a side ponytail walked onto the steps. She turned to face the crowd; Katniss continued to call names. She called twenty-one names I didn't recognize. It was all downhill from there._

_"Rhinestone Flaire." Katniss anounced. My mouth dropped slightly open, tears began to fall from my eyes. My heart ached and my stomach lurched in horror as my bestfriend walked onto the steps. I wanted to collapse to my knees, but I continued to stand. I stared at Rhinestone, not believing his name could've been called. Katniss continued to call the twenty-third name as my life plummeted to hell. Katniss smiled wide and laughed to herself. "Amorose Snow." She said my name with such pleasure, such joy, that it made me want to run up those steps and choke her. I wanted to choke her and then take Rhinestone by the hand and run. But I didn't. I walked up the steps and stood, last tribute to be called._

"Did you hear me, Rose?" Rhinestone asks.

"Yes. I was just thinking about . . . "

"The Reaping?" Rhinestone says quickly, as if he read my thoughts, relived the memory with me. I nod. "Let's just open this pack already." Rhinestone smiles at me, an odd gesture after everything that has happened so far. But his grey eyes are full of sadness, a deep pain. His black hair shines in the sunlight and for a moment I feel like we're five again, playing on the swingset at school like we always did. I pull the pack off my shoulder and set it in my lap. I unzip it and begin to rummage through it. There are washcloths, antibiotics, a bag of jerky, a bag of rolls, two bottles of water, a small tube of water cleanser, a knife, cloth bandages, one pair of night vision sunglasses, and a small bag of berries. "You take the knife." Rhinestone says. I pick the knife out of the small pile we had made and stick it into my back pocket, blade inside, handle out.

"We should clean our wounds," I say. "So they don't get infected." Rhinestone nods in agreement. I grab the washcloth and the bottle of antibiotics. I pour a bit of the antibiotics onto the washcloth and dab it onto Rhinestone's forehead. The cut is deep, oozing blood; he winces in pain. I whisper a quiet shh. He leans into me and I continue to dab the wound. "What are we going to do?" I ask him after a long moment of silence.

"Do about what?"

"About who wins. Out of the two of us."

"We can't talk about that now, Amorose. When the time is right, we'll know. If we make it that far, that is."

"Winning wouldn't be worth it if I had to go back without you." I say. Rhinestone looks at me, sadness draped across his face. A wave of melancholy washes over me, drowning me, sucking me in and removing the breath from my lungs. Rhinestone puts a hand up to my cheek and strokes my cheekbone with his thumb.

"It won't be that bad." he says. Those five words are his only purpose in these games: to make sure I win. Even if it means he dies, he'll make sure I win. I don't want that. If he dies, I'll die as well. If I go back to the Capitol without him, I will surely go insane. It would be a living hell.

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><p><strong>This chapter was just an introduction to the characters. It will get more interesting, I assure you(: Please review.<strong>


	2. They're Gonna Eat Me Alive

After Rhinestone is finished cleaning my wound, which is actually quite small, he stuffs everything back into the pack. Rhinestone stands and holds out a hand to me. I take it and stand, but I don't let go. I squeeze his hand and he squeezes back. Rhinestone throws the pack onto his shoulder; he starts walking.

If we weren't in a kill zone, the arena might actually be . . . beautiful. I've visited a lot of the old arenas, mostly with my grandfather, but none of them were as beautiful as this. The leaves glistened though it hadn't rained. The air smelled of sassafras and maple and apples. If you closed your eyes, and, of course, blocked out the occasional scream, you wouldn't even guess you were in the Mockingjay Games. You'd think you were in some kind of paradise. Based on the state of Panem, which is chaos, this was magnificent. Maybe it's better that I'm here.

No. I will die. Rhinestone will die. We will never see our families. This isn't paradise; I can't afford to think of it that way. This forest is a wasteland, or at least is on its way to becoming one. Soon dead bodies will be littered across the field. At least until the helicopters come. I haven't seen any yet. At least two people have died and not one helicopter. Maybe they're waiting until the fight at the Cornucopia calms.

All of a sudden, five cannons go off simultaneously. Rhinestone and I tumble to the ground. I land on the ground first and he covers his body over mine for protection. It feels as if the rumble from the cannons will cause the sky to fall, pure blue pieces of broken glass. Pure blue pieces of daggers, falling to the ground, trying to find a home in someone's head. Ready to kill anyone to find a home. The ground still shakes as Rhinestone begins to speak.

"You okay?" It takes me a moment to answer, my ears ringing.

"Yeah. You?"

Rhinestone lets out a chortle and says, "I guess so. I'd say I was deaf but I can hear you." I get my arms underneath myself and push upward. Rhinestone was already standing by that time, waiting. He grabbed my hand and hoisted me up. I swiped my hands across myself, brushing dirt from my clothing.

"Seventeen tributes left," I say.

"'And the Rebels are so generous as to let one tribute win.'." Rhinestone says, trying his best to imitate a District accent. It reminds me of when we were in school, making fun of the Districts and their accents. I smile, a genuine smile, and Rhinestone raises his face towards the sky, a wide grin on his face. "The way she said your name," he says, bringing his face back down. His tone is serious, angry. As he speaks, his nose wrinkles in rage and fury. "She was so happy. I could've killed her right there. I wanted to. I don't care if she's the Mockingjay, I don't care if she's married to that whiny, cowardly piece of toast! She had no right to do that. To laugh about it like it was a joke."

"Cowardly piece of toast?" I ask, smiling at him, hoping to calm him. It doesn't work.

"Who names their kid after bread? Seriously! They'll probably name their kids Poppy Seed and Rye-an. I can't believe how annoying they are! I hate them! I hate Peeniss!" Rhinestone lets go of my hand and raises his face towards the sky again, arms out. "I HATE PEENIS! YOU HEAR ME, REBELS?"

"Rhinestone," I say, putting my hands on him and turning him towards me. "Stop this. Stop." Rhinestone turns to me, tears forming. Madness and fear, utter sadness, lives in his eyes.

"She was so happy to see your name pulled out of the Reaping Ball. I hated it. Hearing you called was torture for me. I thought if I went off, I could win. I could come home to you. But then she laughed and I knew it. You were called and everything changed. It all became about you. Keeping you alive."

"Rhinestone . . . "

"No, Amorose! I will always look out for you! I have since we were three! That doesn't stop just because we're in the Mockingjay Games. I will fight to keep you alive. I will die so you can win. Amorose . . . can't you see?" I wipe away tears from my eyes I didn't realize had fallen. I place my hands on Rhinestone's cheeks.

"That's not fair to you, Rhinestone."

"But you're worth it, Rose. You've always been worth it."

"Rhinestone, if I win they'll kill me. The Rebels will kill me. If President Snow's granddaughter wins, they won't be able to deal with it."

"You can't possibly believe that."

"I can! I'll win and they'll kill. Then twenty-four lives, including yours, will have been wasted! It's better for both of us to die than just one, Rhinestone." He doesn't say anything for a long time, just stares at me. His eyes bore into mine and I can feel all his emotions transferring into me.

An extremely loud, blood chilling, bone cracking, spine tingling scream bursts through the arena, ripping our silence to shreds. Rhinestone and I turn towards the source quickly. I pull my knife from my back pocket; Rhinestone balls his fist, ready for a fight. The scream comes again, closer and louder. A sick, maddened cackle follows. Laughter, then scream. It goes on like that for two minutes. Then she came.

It's her. The girl who forgot the countdown. The first to die. She walks with a limp. Her head is cocked to the side at an impossible angle, so much impossible that her skin of her neck had begun to rip and tear, bone already jutted out from the bend. Her lips are gone, she has none on her face, and no trace of there ever being any. Her hair is matted with mud and caked with blood. Her clothes are torn and ripped, bloody hand prints covering them. She is missing one shoe, and that foot doesn't have any toes. Her fingers dangle from the knuckles by thin bits of flesh, the bones broken. She has claw marks all over her skin. Some of her skin isn't even there, some of it still bubbling away as if she'd stuck it in something vile. She has a crazed look in her . . . eye. She has only one eye, the other is just a bloody socket. The one eye she does have has a toxic red tint to it, like a rat, but with black snake-like slits in the middle. What had happened to this girl? She begis to scream again, though I'm not sure how. The scream fades to the same cackle.

I grip the handle of my knife tightly. I stare at the girl, waiting for her to do something. She does nothing. She just stares at Rhinestone and I, waiting for us to do something. I think of what the Rebels had to do to make her this girl look so . . . dead. I know she was shocked to death, but what could've possibly have happened?

Then, she charges us. I react quickly, wanting to defend Rhinestone since he has no weapon. I slash at the girl as she stretched her arms towards me, swinging and clawing at me. My knife digs into her forearm. She screams viciously and I slash my knife across her chest. I just need to cut her head off. I kick the girl, knocking her to the ground. She screams again and quickly gets up.

She runs to Rhinestone, throwing herself onto him. Rhinestone yelps and falls to the ground. I watch as he quickly gains control, his strength his only weapon. He thrashes against her madness, kicks against her rage. The girl pins Rhinestone to the ground, gripping his torso with her thighs. I run to help Rhinestone. I slash my knife down her back, and then again horizontally. She wails in pain, spins her body rapidly, creating a horrible crunching sound which I can only think of as bones, and punches me. I fall to the ground as pain erupts throughout my jaw and cheek bone. I wipe my face, blood from my nose painting itself onto my arm.

I quickly stand to assist Rhinestone. As I turn, I see Rhinestone has gained power over the girl. He has her pinned to the ground, like she did he. "Hurry, Rose!" he shouts to me. "Just snap her neck!" I run to his side, collapsing to my knees. I put my hands over the girl's ears and quickly twist her head. I hear a sickening sound and a thump as the girl's head hits the ground. I look at Rhinestone, relief already finding a home inside me, when the girl's torso rears upward, flinging Rhinestone backwards. I run to Rhinestone's side. He's gasping for air, the breath knocked from his lungs. I turn my head and look at the girl. Slowly but surely, she's standing. Her limbs twist in odd angles. Veins bulge underneath her skin like blue ropes struggling to keep her tied up. The girl turns her body towards me, positions herself, then runs at me with incredible speed. Before I can even react, the girl tackles me and I'm on the ground with her on top of me.

The girl is stronger than she was before, stronger than she was with a head. I think of her parents back in the Capitol, watching their daughter act like a monster. The girl's broken fingers grasp for my knife. I jab at her, aiming at no specific place. The girl moves her hand in front of my knife and it goes straight through her hand. The girl tries to pull the knife out with her other hand, but her fingers can't clutch it. She then tries to twist her arm at a weird angle in order to stab me.

The girl flies off of me with a powerful kick from Rhinestone. She collapses onto her back right beside me and he jumps on top of her. He takes the knife out of her hand and quickly plunges it into the girl's heart, killing her for good.


	3. My Love, Leave Yourself Behind

Blood splatters from the girl's body, landing on Rhinestone and even me. Rhinestone looks at me, horror his only emotion. "What the hell did they do to that girl? That's worse than the Mutts. I don't even think you could call her a mutt."

I stand and pull my knife from the girl's chest. "Come on," I say. Pain erupts throughout my jaw as I speak. A hand instinctively goes to it, but as I touch it, more pain comes. Rhinestone looks at me with concern filled eyes.

"I can already see the bruise," he says, "and it's pretty big."

"Let's just keep moving before they send another four after us."

"I doubt they will. It was probably just my punishment for saying - "

"Rhinestone," I warn.

"Sorry." Rhinestone takes my hand and we begin to walk again. Images of the girl flash through my mind. Her seizing body; her disgusting, tortured, morphed form; her running and attacking me without a head.

"That was Peridot." I mumble. "The girl who screamed at the Reaping. The girl who screamed 'Down with the Districts, down with the Mockingjay.'. I wondered why they didn't do anything to her when she shouted that. Now I know why; they already had something planned. They planned for her to run early. She probably didn't even try to run; they just shocked her. Then they stole her body and turned her into a monster." Rhinestone is speechless. I'm guessing he already knows who I'm talking about. He continues to walk. As we walk, I remember being in the Capitol building after the Reaping. That horrible hour spent with my mother and sister. Everything was falling to pieces right before my eyes. My life, my family, my friendship with Rhinestone. Everything was burning, and all I could do was watch.

_The twenty-four tributes stood there on the steps in front of all of Panem. There were no applauds from any of the Capitol citizens, nothing. Everyone was silent, already in the process of mourning. But then the Rebels began to clap, and uproar of noise. Every Capitol citizen remained quiet. Soon after, the Peace Keepers came onto the steps. They took each child to their own room in the Capitol building. I was taken upstairs. As I was being shoved forward, Rhinestone called my name. He was already being taken into his own room, struggling against the Peace Keeper to keep his head out of the doorway. I looked back at him. "You and me," he mouthed. I nodded, accepting the alliance._

_The Peace Keeper, a strong man with dark beady eyes and ratty hair, threw me into a large room. He glared at me, laughed, then slammed the door. I stood, brushed off my clothes, then looked at my surroundings. The furniture was luxurious and reminded me of my grandfather's mansion. There was a loveseat with red velvet, soft and smooth. And warm. Warm and welcoming. There were a few chairs, all made from fancy fabrics in beautiful patterns. There was a cherry oak vanity in the corner of the room. I slowly walked to the vanity, sobs still choking me, threatening to kill me if I didn't let them go, let them be free._

_No tears, I warned myself. Not until Mother and Amethyst have gone._

_I sat on the chair and pulled it close to the vanity. There was no makeup on the vanity. No jewelry or anything, which is an odd sight for me. I stared into the mirror, at myself, and realized that fear had morphed my face. I closed my eyes and shook my head. I stilled myself, then opened my eyes. A hand flew to my mouth, stifling the scream that surely would have come had I not bit my tongue. I didn't see myself in the mirror, the red curls, the red lips, the gray blue eyes. Instead I saw him. I saw my grandfather. "They think they're so much better than us," he said. "So much better than me. Ha! The nerve. Treat my granddaughter with such . . . distaste. Those Rebels are scum, filth, disgusting mongrels who are far worse than the rulers before them. I know you think the same, Amorose." I nodded. Fear was creeping up on me, cold fingers with sharp claws that dug into my skin. The sight of my grandfather scared me. The sight of my grandfather alive terrified me. I thought I had been riddened of him, never having to ever worry about what he might do to me ever again. I thought his death would cause the scars to heal, the trauma to disappear. No. It never will. How could I have been so naive?_

_"I'm scared, Grandfather." I said, not sure if I meant about the games or the sight of him instead of me in the mirror._

_"Don't be. You should be proud to be in the games! Even if they are as poorly constructed at a kindergartener's sentence. Be proud, child. This is what you've always wanted, remember? You've always wanted a chance to be in the games, right?" I nodded, though I knew he couldn't hurt me. I didn't want to be in the games, I still don't, no matter how much he wants me to._

_Small fists knocked on the door. I looked to the door, then back at the mirror. It was me, my reflection. Amorose. I quickly stood, wanting to get as far away from the empty vanity as possible. I opened the door and smiled at the small eight-year-old that stood before me. It was Amethyst, my sister. She was staring at her feet, her black hair tucked behind her ears. Sometimes I'm glad Grandfather isn't alive because I know he'll never hurt Amethyst like he hurt me. He'll never tamper with her looks so that she can be a symbol of everything he is, like he did to me when I was only a year old, twenty years underage for a clinical operation._

_I fell to my knees and pulled Amethyst into my arms. "Where's Mother?" I asked._

_"They're only letting us in one at a time. Styles, Crimson, and Julius were fighting over who got to see Rhinestone first." Styles, Crimson, and Julius were Rhinestone s three little brothers. Styles, like Amethyst, was eight. Crimson was ten. Julius was fifteen. "They all decided to let Jewel in first."_  
><em>Jewel was Rhinestone's mother. His mother and mine were close friends, like Styles and Amethyst were. I wondered what their pain was like. If it was any different from the pain I felt, or at least would feel.<em>

_Amethyst and I didn't talk much when she visited. I made as much an effort to avoid it as possible. I couldn't guarantee I would come home, and I wasn't going to fill her with false hope, promises that would most definitely be broken. Instead, we sat on the loveseat. She sat in my lap and I sang her the Capitol Song, the song our mother always sung to us._

Bring me the love, the love that you hide;  
>Bring me the love, the love you denied;<br>I am scared, I am weak;  
>You never think of me.<p>

Bring me the love, the love that died;  
>Bring me the love, the love that sufficed;<br>I was scared, I was weak;  
>You never thought of me.<p>

_I told Amethyst I loved her, that I always would. She cried into my chest and I stroked her hair, rocking her back and forth in a calming motion. Amethyst had already begun to hyperventilate when the Peace Keeper came and ripped her from me. She screamed my name, kicked and clawed against the Peace Keeper. I told her I loved her once more as her small fingers slipped through mine._

_After I waited for five minutes, my mother came through the door. She rushed to my side and pulled me into a frantic hug. She stroked my hair and squeezed me tightly. "Oh my darling," she said quietly. "My darling you must fight." She hesitated before she delivered the next sentence. "You must kill Rhinestone." I quickly pushed my mother away._

_"How could you say something like that?" I asked her, disgusted with her. "How dare you. When the Rebels bombed the Capitol, Rhinestone and his family helped us, welcomed us with open arms! Jewel is your best friend. I bet she didn't tell Rhinestone to kill me. I bet Rhinestone was telling her how he will have to protect me, and I bet she didn't argue or disagree. And you have the nerve to tell me that I should kill my best friend?"_

_"Darling, I'm sorry. But I can't let the Rebels take someone else from me. They killed your father in cold blood. He was a good man, just like you're a good girl, and he didn't deserve to die. Please. Amethyst and I need you. You must win. You have to win. If you can't kill Rhinestone, let someone else. Please, I'm begging you."_

_"Mother . . . I can't . . . "_

_"You can, and you have to."_

_"No. I won't."_

_"Promise me."_

_"No . . . . " I shook my head, narrowed my eyes, and looked at her in disgust. "No. I won't kill Rhinestone. I refuse." I had never defied my mother, had never spoken to her in such a tone._

_"Amorose, please. she looked at me for a long while, studying my face, my eyes, my expression. She knew I wouldn't budge, so she didn't press. My mother is smart in that way. Fine, don't kill Rhinestone. But promise me you'll win."_

_"I can't." Mother took a deep breath, then cupped her hands around my face. She smiles at me, her magical smile that could make the world better within a matter of seconds. Tears blurred her eyes; she sniffled loudly. I had never seen my mother so broken down, not even when my father died. But then again, she didn't have to watch him suffer, watch him struggle. She didn't have to watch him die._

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><p><strong>Herro(: Sorry if it's short. Just another story with memories. But we all love those right? Please review this. You all are lucky Santa has already come because you would be getting coal for not reviewing(: *le gasp* Haha. Just kidding. But seriously *the first straight face i've ever used in my life* DO IT.(:<strong>


	4. Run For Cover, We Are Hearts Under Fire

The memory of being in the Capitol building sends a shiver down my spine. I shake and Rhinestone looks at me, but keeps walking. "What did your mother say to you when she visited you in the Capitol building?" I ask, rushing my words.

"She just told me to be strong, to do my best, to protect you and make you less miserable. To do whatever I felt was right. Why?"

"My mother told me I should kill you. Right off the bat, kill you and get it over with. Or at least skip the alliance, leave you behind, and let someone else kill you."

Rhinestone swallows hard and walks faster. "In some ways, she's right." he tells me, not even daring to look at me. "The only good reason for being in the games is that I can protect you, make sure you win. I mean, don't you want to go home to Amethyst?" I'm taken aback by this. I stop and Rhinestone does as well, turning to face me.

"Of course I do, Rhinestone. Don't you want to go home to Styles, and Julius, and Crimson?" He doesn't answer. "Of course I want to go home to Amethyst, to my mother. But I can't. I just can't. I can't go home alive and know that you're dead. I can't know that you died for me. And I know Amethyst understands because if it was her and Styles instead of you and me, she would be doing the same thing I am right now. And you know what that is, Rhinestone? Dying with you. My mother may not understand, but once I'm dead, she will. And if she still doesn't, well, maybe Amethyst can explain it to her."

"Do you think I don't want to go home? Is that what you think, Rose? That I just hate the idea of winning? I don't. I love the idea of winning, Rose!"

"Then fight! Fight for yourself, not me. Take my knife if that helps. Leave me right now and fight to win!"

"I can't, Rose!" he screams at me. I can feel a look of horror rise onto my face. Rhinestone steps closer to me. He takes my hands and squeezes his eyes shut. He speaks quieter now, almost in a whisper. Tears are falling from our eyes. "I can't go out there and risk that it will be you and me, the last two standing." I feel suddenly terrible for lashing out at Rhinestone. I have no idea what he's thinking. "I can't go home alive and know that you're dead, either. I told my brothers and my mother that I wouldn't be coming home, and they all understood. Like you said, winning wouldn't be worth it if I had to go back without you."

"I'm sorry . . . " I look into Rhinestone's gray eyes. "I'm so sorry. I should be grateful that you're willing to die for me, but I'm not. I hate you for it. Not like that. No I just-I hate that you don't care about yourself enough to win. I hate that you are just so willing to give up for me, and I can't even take you up on the offer." I look at the ground. Rhinestone kisses the top of my head. "If my grandfather was still alive, then Hell yes I'd want to win. I'd want to win so that I could go home and make sure he never hurts my sister like he did me. But Amethyst is strong and-" Rhinestone pushes me away and then dips his head so he can look me right in the eyes, looking back and forth between the two, searching for something. He grips my upper arms tightly, concern controlling him now.

"What are you talking about?" he asks me through gritted teeth. "What do you mean your grandfather hurt you?" I swallow hard. I didn't mean to say that. I never planned on telling him. I'm sure the cameras are trained on me right now. My mother will hear this, Amethyst will hear this. Everyone. Mother will feel terrible once she hears. She'll blame herself for everything and begin to cry hysterically.

"He hit me. More than once. I told him I hated the Hunger Games, that I thought they were wrong. He took a fistful of my hair in his hand, making sure I didn't move, and then he slapped me across the face with the back of his hand. I flew across the room and landed on he floor. He walked over to me and told me that if I ever said that again he'd hit me again. Another time, I had befriended an Avox. I started giving her pieces of paper and we'd write to each other. He found out and he killed her. Then, he pulled me into a room. He yelled at me, he hit me, he threw me across the floor, he threatened to hurt Amethyst. When he did that, I just-I lashed out, I guess. I jumped off the floor and attacked him. I clawed at him and hit him but he had guards. They grabbed me by the arms, pinned me against the wall. Grandfather stood and walked over to me. He put hands around my neck and tightened. He told me he would punish me, but he never did."

"Why didn't you tell me, Rose?"

"He would've killed you. I couldn't let that happen."

"What about you're parents? Did you tell them?"

"It doesn't matter who you are, Rhinestone. If you know something about him, it doesn't matter. He will kill you and make it look like an accident. A completely, well-thought out, preplanned accident."

"Why didn't he kill you?"

"Because . . . I think he loved me."

"He didn't love you. Look at all the things he did to you. I love you, Amethyst loves you, your mother loves you. Even my brothers, Amorose, love you. Anyone who loves you wouldn't do that to you. Your grandfather was a monster."

"Don't say that!" I yell, shaking uncontrollably. Even as I speak, something is laced within my voice. Something like tortured insanity. Rhinestone puts his hands behind my neck, looking at me with sympathy now. "If he's a monster then I am. He made me a monster. I'm everything that he wanted me to be and that's not what I want. He made me go through surgery when I was one. He gave red hair for the rose that hides the smell, red lips for the smell he hides. I was only one, Rhinestone. You know that you can't have a clinical operation until you're twenty-one. I could have died, but that didn't matter to him. As long as he got what he wanted: me being the symbol of everything that everyone hates." I calm myself, sniffle, and try to stop the flow of tears; the tears keep flowing like a downpour. "When he died, I was kind of relieved. I was happy, too, because he would never touch Amethyst. I knew she was safe as long as he was gone."

"Amorose, you are nothing like your grandfather." Rhinestone says, pulling me into his arms and kissing the top of my head. "I don't see him in you. I don't see a monster. Amorose, you are the purest, strongest, most beautiful, most wonderful person I have ever met." He pushes me away, cupping my face in his hands. I lay my hands over his. "Don't you ever dare think that you are as sick as your grandfather. He was a terrible man who should have died a long time ago for ever putting his hands on you." I nod quickly and sniffle. Rhinestone holds me tighter but at the same time gentler. He pulls away from me. "It's getting dark. We need to find a good campsite and get some sleep." I nod again. "Get on my back. We'll piggyback like we did walking home from school when we were kids." He smiles at me and I can't help but smile back. Rhinestone gently raises me onto his back and begins to walk, hoping to soon find somewhere to rest. It's been a terrible first day and we need as much sleep as possible right now.

Rhinestone and I found a campsite after a half hour of piggybacking through the dense forest. I didn't have trouble falling asleep, and I trust Rhinestone didn't either, but it was the dreams I had problems with.

My dream was more of a memory, as if I was re-living it. It was the day the Rebels bombed the Capitol. The day my whole world fell to shit.

_Mother and I sat on the couch, watching the Capitol news. Amethyst was up in her bedroom doing who knows what. It had been three days since my father had been killed. Amethyst and I held ourselves together for my mother's sake, mourning in silence, only crying when in Mother's embrace. Mother curled up beside me, her arms around me, a blanket around us. We both knew the Rebels were coming. It was only a matter of time. "We have reports that the Rebels are flying over District Five right now." the newscaster announced._

_"Those sons'a bitches," my mother said, shocking me with her language. My mother swears when in mourning. "They already killed your father, Rhinestone's father. They've already killed millions of people but they won't stop!" Just as my mother's rant was beginning the phone rang. I untangled myself from the blanket and my mother's death grip, stood, and answered the phone. It was Jewel, Rhinestone's mother, and she spoke quickly in a frantic mess, her words slurred with urgency._

_"Amorose? Amorose is that you? You, Gem, and Amethyst have to come over here right now. The Rebels are more than halfway through One. They'll be here any minute and I'm sure they know where you live. They'll be invading homes and if they find you they'll take you. You've got a better chance here, hurry." I could hear Rhinestone in the background asking Jewel if she got a hold of me._

_"But Jewel, the broadcast just said they were flying over Five."_

_"They have two groups of helicopters to confuse people. Now quickly." Jewel hung up the phone and I did the same._

_"Mother, they're coming. The broadcast was wrong. The Rebels are almost to the Capitol. Jewel says we can stay over there." Mother quickly stands._

_"Get your sister. Pack your things. Essentials only! There should be backpacks in both of your closets. Use those." Mother runs into her room and I scramble up the staircase and into Amethyst's room. She sits on the floor with one of her dolls._

_"Amethyst," I say, rushing my words. "The Rebels are coming. They'll be here soon." I run to her closet and pull out her pack. It's a small black pack, just big enough for essentials. Amethyst jumps to her feet, clutching her doll closely to her chest. "Pack your clothes and something to keep you comfort, something to pass the time. We're going to Styles's house for protection, okay? When you're done come to my room." She nods and I bolt to my room._

_Our father was the head of all Peace Keepers. We were trained for emergencies, but never something like that. I dug through my closet for my backpack. As I dug, throwing objects everywhere, I thought of what I'll pack. Clothes, of course. But how much? How long will we be held up in Rhinestone's house? Pictures. I would definitely take pictures. But what else? Was that all I would need? I finally found my backpack. I threw it onto my bed then ran over to my armoire. I pulled out enough clothes to fill my backpack halfway. I stuffed socks and other things into the small pockets. Then I took all my picture albums-of my family, of Rhinestone and me, and of my life-out from under my bed. I put them in the backpack first, then the clothes. I ran out of my room, meeting Amethyst at the top of the stairs. I took her hand, clasping it tightly in mine, and we ran to the bottom of the stairs. Our mother was at the bottom, waving her arm for us to hurry. I picked Amethyst up into my arms and balanced her on my hip as we ran. It was then that I heard it, her soft cries. She was so scared. "We'll be fine," I whispered, just loud enough for only Amethyst to hear._

_My put a hand on my back, pushing me ahead of her and out the door. We ran onto the sidewalk. Jewel was already at the doorway of her house waiting for us. I ran down the sidewalk, my mother on my heels, my sister burying her head in the crook of my neck. Jewel ushered us inside. "Amethyst!" Styles said, his face lighting up. I sat her down and she ran straight into his arms. I looked around for Rhinestone, but I couldn't see him. Rhinestone ran down the stairs as soon as Jewel closed the door. He looked like he had been rushing around, gathering things, which wasn't shocking. He looked just like his father, trying to be the leader in the chaos. As soon as I saw him I ran into his arms. He clutched me tightly to him, his hand on my neck, inhaling deeply. Rhinestone let me go and Julius ran by. He had backpacks in his hands. He handed one to Rhinestone, said hi to me, then handed a backpack to Styles and then to Crimson, who was standing by his mother._

_"We need to go to the basement," Julius said to Rhinestone. "It's our best chance." Rhinestone nodded in agreement as the sound of helicopters began._

_"Quickly, everyone." Jewel said. "Follow me." Jewel led us to a door that led into the basement. The door was completely hidden. It was a sliding door that locked and was the same color as the wall in was on. We all rushed into the basement. My mother and Jewel huddled in a corner as the sound of helicopters began to get louder. Rhinestone and I drifted to our own corner. Crimson, Amethyst, and Styles all sat in a corner together._

_Within ten minutes, helicopters were all we could hear. The sound was everywhere, booming. Mother and Jewel were in tears. So was Amethyst, who had came and sat with Rhinestone and I. I was on the brink of crying, as well. I was so scared. Rhinestone held me in his arms as I shook with fear. Finally, I let the tears come. I couldn't take it anymore. I cried silently, stroking Amethyst's hair. Rhinestone shushed me softly._

_"Do you hear that?" Crimson asked, practically having to shout. The sound of the helicopters died down, but the overwhelming sound of footsteps, hard footsteps, came next. I wanted to scream, but Rhinestone put his hand over my mouth. I held Amethyst tighter as the footsteps became louder, louder, until they finally drifted away, until we thought we were safe._

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><p><strong><em>Please review. Telling me if my writing sucks or not because . . . I really don't know.<em>**


	5. To Let You Have Your Way With Me

It had been two days and nothing had happened. There hadn't been any deaths since the first night. On the first night there had been seven. Seven Capitol children dead. Kids that thought that had immunity, kids that thought they were safe. Kids that were glad when the Rebels ended the Games, but disappointed, terrified, and sad when they began them again. The Rebels' purpose was to stop the Games, stop the cruelty. And they did that, they got what they wanted. But then they become just as cruel as us, coming up with their own games, even if it was just a one time thing.

Capitol citizens are forced to like, worship, and love the Hunger Games, get into it as much as possible. From birth we are trained in the art of acting famous, popular, and loved. Trained in the art of hiding the real fear we feel, the fear no one in the Districts see. In the Capitol, it's either love the Hunger Games or die. Hide your fear or let eat it you alive. We are taught that in school. It's pounded into our brains with a meat tenderizer and if you don't get it, well, you get something else. Something painful. We aren't forced to watch the Games like the District children, no. But we are forced to show enthusiasm even though we hate them just as much as the District children do. All the District citizens see are stuck up, selfish, narcissistic people. They don't see the fear, the terror and horror of being killed if you don't cheer for a specific tribute at the parade, if you don't sponsor, if you don't make bets. But Grandfather didn't kill me when I told him what I thought of the Games. If he killed me, he would have to kill my father, his only son, because my father would know. Then Grandfather would have to kill Mother, and either make an orphan of Amethyst, kill her as well, or take her under his wing. Too much work. And like I said, I think he actually loved me.

There were fifteens tributes left, including Rhinestone and myself. I wonder how many days are left until the Games are over. Until I am finally dead.

With all the lack of activity and deaths, I expect the Game Makers will be working on a way to kill some tributes, make some drama, and entertain the audience. I can picture the Game Makers fidgeting in their seats, just itching to press a button and produce a massacre.

Rhinestone and I pat out our small fire. We had stumbled upon a dead body and, after a small debate, Rhinestone took the backpack from the corpse and the ax that was clutched tightly in its hand. Rhinestone had offered me the ax, but I turned him down, telling him he looked strong and handsome enough to be a woodcutter. He had let out a small chortle, a little laugh that brings a smile to my face even now.

"I'm going to go hunting," he says as I poke the remaining flames with a stick. He stuffs his things into his pack and throws it over his shoulder. He grabs his ax, balances it on his shoulder, and turns to me. "Stay here, okay?" I nod. I sit cross-legged in front of the fire. As Rhinestone passes me, he stops and kisses me on the top of my head. Rhinestone heads off into the woods, the sound of his feet crunching leaves fading into silence.

I hand falls onto my forehead, jerking my head back which creates a popping sound to come from my neck. I knife falls to my throat, the blade pressed firmly against my skin. I struggle against whoever is holding me, but the knife digs deeper. "Stay still," a girl's voice says. "Or you'll have a slit neck as pretty as a ruby choker." A boy jumps from a nearby tree as she speaks. I look desperately around camp for my knife, but I don't see it anywhere. The boy strides over to stand in front of me. His blonde hair is caked with mud and something red that is probably blood. His dark, almost black, eyes look like that of a rabid animal. I can't see the girl behind me, but I'm sure she looks similar to him. They have gone full survival mode, all that's missing is a necklace made from ears. They've named themselves Careers. I open my mouth to scream, but the girl sticks her knife in my mouth. It rests gently on my tongue. She pulls the knife out slowly.

"No, no." the boy says tauntingly. "We want to make her suffer, 'member sis?"

"I'm just having some fun, Copper."

"We can't afford fun, Diamond. That boy could be back at any minute." I try to break free of the girl's hold. She places her hand on my back and pushes me forward. I land on the ground, the breath knocked from my lungs.

"Rhinestone!" I manage, but it's barely a croak. I regain my stamina, then scream as loud as I can, though it's still not very loud. "Rhinestone!"

"Shut her up!" the boy-Copper-says. "I've got to find my bow." Copper runs to the tree from which he dropped, leaving a huge gap of space between him and me and his sister. I see Diamond's legs as she walks in circles around me. I grab her ankle and quickly push her onto the ground. She falls with a loud thud that rips the breath from her lungs. Either Copper didn't hear her, or he thought his sister was beating me. I pull myself closer to Diamond and position myself over her. She jabs her knife at me. The knife rips my sleeve and slices my skin. I feel the pressure as the warm blood oozes out of my upper arm. I wince at the sight but continue to grab for the knife. The glare in Diamond's aquamarine eyes is hard and cold. "I don't know where it is, Diamond!" Copper calls, not even looking at us. Diamond is too focused to answer her brother. She prods her knife at me again. The blade digs into my palm, and my whole arm erupts into agonizing pain, but I finally grab the knife from her. Diamond tries to fight me with her hands, pushing my arms away. My blood smears onto her as I fight back. I swipe the knife horizontally, cutting into both of her arms. As she lets out a shriek, I drive the knife into Diamond's heart, cutting off the scream as she begins a choking gasp for air.

"What did you do?" Copper shouts, horror jumping from his throat. I pull the knife from Diamond's heart and stand to face him. He aims his flat bow at me, tears forming in his eyes. For a moment, his eyes drift to his sister. He winces and trains his eyes on me again. Copper chokes back a sob and looks back at Diamond, his gaze lingering longer this time. He looks at me then his sister. Diamond, me. Diamond, me.

"Copper . . . " a small voice mutters, speaking in barely a whisper. "Please . . . " Copper stares at Diamond. He turns his head towards me and glares. "I need you . . . " Copper drops his flat bow onto the ground and runs to Diamond's side. He collapses to his knees, letting all of his tears pour.

"I'm here, Diamond. I'm sorry I let this happen."

"Win for me. Go back to Mom and Dad."

"I will," Copper says. I jut watch as Copper and Diamond speak to each other because all I see when I look at them is Rhinestone and me. Copper holds Diamond's bloodied hand.

"Promise . . . me." Diamond begs, choking and coughing up blood as she speaks.

"I-" I slowly pull Copper's head back and dug the knife into his throat, slicing across his neck as he gasps. I take my knife from his throat. Copper's body flops onto his sister's as she takes her last breath.

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><p><strong>Sorry it's short. Muahaha. The next chapter will be looooonnnnnnggggg. At least it will look long when I write it and then when I post it it will be super short.<strong>

**FINNICK/JOHANNA FANS LOOK HERE  
>Thinking about doing a FinnickJohanna One-Shot. Not going to spoil anything, but I'll tell you it's not a romance. (: Tell me if you think that sounds interesting/good/you would read it. XP**


	6. I Love You For A Thousand More

I stare at the dead bodies. The bodies from which I stole life. Why not just let them kill me? Then Rhinestone wouldn't have to worry about me. He would be able to win. I know he could win. And I know he would've killed Copper and Diamond had they attacked him. A flash of Rhinestone decapitating Copper with his ax, the rage, horror, and sadness from seeing my lifeless form lying limply in a warm pool of blood still in his eyes as the blade cuts through Copper's spinal cord. The blood chilling scream escaping Diamond as her brother's head rolls to the ground . . . Unless she's already dead.

_Stop it_, I say to myself. I blink hard, squeezing my eyes shut as tight as possible. I walk past the dead brother and sister and sit cross-legged in front of the fire. "I'm sorry," I mouth, partly to myself, to Copper and Diamond, to Rhinestone, and our families watching back home. But why am I sorry for Diamond and Copper? They attacked me, tried to kill me. They tried to take me from Rhinestone. They tried to take my life before I was ready to give it up. But I did that to them. They weren't ready.

These games are turning me into a heartless monster. I only care about myself and Rhinestone. I'm becoming more and more like my grandfather the more I play these games. He's probably looking up at me from Hell, yelling at me for protecting Rhinestone and for being willing to die with him. Grandfather couldn't stand my infatuation with Rhinestone when he was alive. Grandfather always told me to get rid of Rhinestone, that he would just weigh me down. I always told Grandfather I loved Rhinestone, that I could even see myself marrying him. Grandfather would laugh in my face, say it was more likely for Rhinestone to die young. "Lovers are like chains, Amorose. Rhinestone is just a nuisance." I'd start yelling at my grandfather, but he'd have his guards drag me away, kicking and screaming, proclaiming my love for Rhinestone.

"What the hell happened?" Rhinestone asks as he walks into our camp. He sees Copper and Diamond and runs to my side. "Are you okay? Amorose, are you alright?" He crouches beside me, brushing my hair back behind my ear with his soft, warm finger. He kisses my cheek, and as soon as his lips leave my skin he looks at me. He puts his hand under my chin and turns my head toward him. Rhinestone looks deep into my eyes, deep into my soul. Rhinestone's eyebrows furrow and knit together as he examines me. He turns my head side to side, looking carefully at the swatches of warm red, and looks at my bloodied hands. Rhinestone looks at my mouth, and it suddenly becomes clear to me. My mouth tastes like blood. The warm goo swashes in my mouth as I realize how long it took me to notice, how long it's been since her knife cut my tongue.

I quickly stand, sending a shock of concern through Rhinestone. "What's wrong?" he asks hurriedly. I put a hand over my mouth, preferring not to spit the blood onto him. I try to move, but Rhinestone is there, everywhere I step. He holds his arms out, elbows still at his sides, trying to get a hold of me.

"Stop!" I shout, blood dripping down my chin. I run around Rhinestone and towards the trees. I collapse to my knees, spitting rapidly, raking my tongue with my teeth, doing anything that might get the blood out of my mouth. Tears burn my eyes and I choke on sobs. I feel some of the sticky goo slide down my throat and a wave of nausea already hits me. The thought of blood in my mouth reminds me of my grandfather, the smell of blood in his breath, coughing it up on the day he died.

"Rose?" Rhinestone asks, slowly approaching me. He sounds scared, worried. "Amorose?" He drops to his knees beside me, wrapping his arm around me and pulling me close to him. He rocks me back and fourth, but I struggle against him. It's still in my mouth. "Calm down, Rose. Shh."

"I have to get it out!" I scream while I shake in the warmth of Rhinestone's arms. "I can taste it! It's in my breath! Just like him!"

"You are nothing like your grandfather. You're kind, beautiful, funny, lovely, comforting. You're just scared and paranoid." Rhinestone rests his chin on my head. "You can't do this to yourself. Not in front of me. You can't drive yourself mad." He hesitates, then whispers, "Don't give the Rebels the pleasure of seeing the President's granddaughter fall to pieces like shattered glass." I wiggle free from Rhinestone's arms and twist my torso to face him. He smiles at me and his gray eyes, the sweetest eyes I've ever seen, flash with love.

"I wish we weren't here," I say, turning back around and snuggling into Rhinestone's arms. My head rests on his chest, his chin on my head once again. "In the arena."

"Why's that?"

"Because I love you, Rhinestone. I really, truly love you." I feel his chin shift as he smiles. "But I don't have a lifetime to prove it to you."

"I've always loved you, Amorose. And I think you know that." A smile finds home on my face as Rhinestone kisses the top of head. I close my eyes and pretend I'm back in the Capitol.

Lightning flashes in the distance. My eyes snap open as thunder booms overhead. Rain begins to fall. It pours down and it feels like daggers stabbing against my skin. Rhinestone stands, putting his hands under my upper arms, and hoists me up. "Wait!" I shout over the noise. I push my soaking wet hair out of my face and, my feet stumbling, look for Copper's flat bow. There is no light except for the lightning.

"We have to move!" Rhinestone orders. He grabs my hands, but I swat him away. The next flash comes and I see it. I lower myself, balancing on my heels, and pick up the flat bow. If Rhinestone and I are going to start playing this game and actually kill people, I'm going to need something besides a puny knife. I fling the flat bow around my shoulder and strap the quiver of arrows around my waist. I quickly stand and Rhinestone grabs my hand. He starts running, leaving all of our things behind.

Lightning crackles everywhere and I can almost feel the electricity running through my skin. I can taste it, the coppery mixture of blood and electricity on my tongue. I try to breathe through my nose because every time I inhale, a shock flies through my throat and it my lungs. Lightning lights the sky, and I see the look of terror on Rhinestone's face as he looks back at me. This storm was made by the Game Makers. It was designed to kill us, the remaining tributes who haven't done anything.

Rhinestone picks up his speed as thunder booms. It rattles my core and shakes the ground. Rhinestone falls to the ground, taking me with him. We both stand and continue to run, even faster than we were before, keeping a tight hold of each other.

A new light source appears. Fire dances across the tops of the trees, licking the leaves until the are blazing with yellows, reds, and oranges. I can hear other screams coming from the arena, but none of them sound like the screams of someone dying. More trees are being lit on fire. Rhinestone and I run as fast as we can, our feet pounding the ground that shakes beneath us.

Rhinestone and I run side by side, our faces lit up by the flares of fire jumping around our faces. The entire sky is black except for the red in the trees. We can only see a few feet in front of us as we run, occasionally jumping or tripping which is followed by picking each other up. Rhinestone squeezes my hand, assuring me we'll make it. How can he be sure? What if this storm is supposed to kill all of us? How far will the Rebels take this? Sometimes I wonder if they'll even let a Capitol child win.


	7. I Know You Have a Lot of Strength Left

By the second hour of running, Rhinestone and I realized we couldn't stop. The first time, lightning struck right in front of us. The second time, I swear, it hit us. The strike was powerful enough to kill us, but we were thoroughly out of it. The world spun around us, we were constantly tripping. Electric charges presented themselves between our hands, but Rhinestone never let go. I saw the pain in his face, the shifting shadows from the burning trees accentuating his beautiful features and sweet eyes that still have light, hope, and happiness in them.

The air, surging with electricity, was filled with screams. Rhinestone and I were soaking wet, cold, hot, and twitching from the shocks, but we kept our screams in.

By the time the storm was clearing, I felt my soul was leaving my body. I could literally feel myself dying. I felt myself tumble to the ground, only to be picked up into the strong arms of Rhinestone. "We'll find a new place," Rhinestone says. His voice is strained and crackles. "The storm's over and we can rest. Enough kids must've died." The storm is over, but the sky is still pitch black. The leaves are still on fire, so there is a little bit of light. Rhinestone looks down at me as I feel my eyes roll into the back of my head. "No, no." he says, concerned. "Not now, Rose. Please." Rhinestone quickens his pace and within a few minutes, he sets me on a cold, rock floor. "Amorose?" he asks, his voice quiet. "Come on, please, stay alive." I feel a tear drip down onto my cheek. Rhinestone is crying. His voice cracks as he speaks. "Please, Rose. I still need you. I know you can make it. But you have to want to make it."

I want to make it. I want to stay in the game with Rhinestone. I don't want to leave him yet. I don't want to die yet. But I have no say in this. I feel my eyes drift close. "No!" Rhinestone yells. He wraps his arm around my waist and lifts my from the floor. "Please!" Rhinestone rocks back and fourth, clutching me to him tightly. "Please," Rhinestone whispers. "I love you."

I feel something in the pit of my stomach. Strength fills my bones, replenishes me. "I-" Rhinestone pulls back from me. He looks at me. His eyes are red and his chin quivers. Rhinestone sits me in his lap and holds me in his arms like you would hold a baby. "I'll try . . . to make it. I can feel it. I can . . . feel myself . . . dying. But . . . I can feel myself . . . living. I feel like . . . like love is the only thing keeping me . . . alive. Your love is . . . is saving me." Rhinestone smiles. "I love you. Whether it saves you or not." Rhinestone wraps his strong arms around me and I wrap my numb arms around his neck. "I won't die . . . not yet."

I don't remember falling asleep, but I must have. I wake up in Rhinestone's arms. His eyes are closed, but a beautiful smile still graces his face. He looks so handsome. If we weren't in the games, our children would be beautiful. They would have his gray eyes, my curly, rose red hair, and our pale complexion. They would grow up to be kind and loving. I would protect them from the Rebels, as would Rhinestone. I would die for them. My stomach twists thinking of the children that I can see so vividly and how they will never have a chance at life. They don't even exist yet, they're not even mine, yet, but I love them with all my heart. I hope Katniss is enjoying herself. Rhinestone and I aren't faking our friendship and love. She faked and she got out with her lover. I don't have that chance; the Rebels won't let me. If I could get out, with Rhinestone, what would they do? Would they kill our families, or have the Rebels become just as infatuated with the Hunger Games as the Capitol citizens pretended to be.

Rhinestone looks so much like Styles when he sleeps. Rhinestone, Styles, Julius, and Crimson all look so similar, the perfect mixture of their mother's black hair and their father's gray eyes. I remember their father, Klaus. He would always give me candies. I remember when Julius would hang around Rhinestone and I. I remember when Crimson hung around Amethyst and Styles.

I picture Styles and Amethyst huddled together on the couch, both families in the same house, staring blankly at the television that will soon bring misery to their hearts and tears to their eyes. Jewel and Mother would be crying into each other's shoulders. Julius would be sitting on the back of the couch, Crimson on the cushion beneath Julius. Julius would have his hand on the top of Crimson's head. Do they know what Rhinestone is doing? Or do they think he's actually going to try and win?

I miss Julius. I miss Crimson and Styles, and Jewel. I miss my mother. I miss Amethyst. I want to be home. But while I'm in the games, and there is no chance of returning with Rhinestone, my home is here, in the games, in his arms.

* * *

><p><em>This chapter was short, but the next chapter, all though it may also be short, will be dramatic. Le gasp! *Dun dun di daaa*<em>


	8. When All of My Emotions Get In the Way

I had slept the next day. Rhinestone kept waking me, feeding me, insisting I drink, worried I would die. I tried my hardest to keep my eyes open, but it was almost impossible. They were concrete. My arm had become numb from laying on it. I woke up screaming from Charley horses in my calves. Rhinestone would straighten and massage my legs. I could hear the Rebels mocking me. "Look at her. She has her little boyfriend doing everything for her." or "That little liar.". I can still see them whispering among themselves in the crowd on interview day.

_"If you could trade places with any Capitol citizen," Gale Hawthorne, highly praised television star, asks. "Who would it be? If they could be in the games instead of you."_

_"I wouldn't wish this upon anyone." I answer. My dress hugs my skin tightly as I shift in my red, puffy chair. I feel the eyes of a million people on me, but my eyes, my unbreakable glare, is trained on Gale Hawthorne._

_"But your grandfather started the Hunger Games."_

_"So that means I have to be completely invested in them?" I reply, quick as a whip. Hawthorne looks as if I've just slapped. "Just because I'm the granddaughter of President Snow does not mean that I agree with any of his choices let alone why he made them. My grandfather told me a lot, and I know a lot about everyone in Panem, but the logic of his decisions was a piece of information that was and always will be a mystery to me." A look of disturbance and fright appears on Hawthorne's face, but instantly disappears._

_"What-"_

_"But I do know, from common sense, that you're not supposed to kiss your cousin." A collective gasp comes from the crowd. A smile crawls across my lips and graces my face. "Especially if she's in a happy relationship. What was it called again? Ah, yes! Peeniss." I lean into Hawthorne, putting a hand beside my mouth as if whispering, but speak in a full mocking tone. "Wouldn't want to mess with Peeniss, would we? Could you imagine the mobs?" More gasps come from the crowd. I'd smile more, but my lips might just fall off. I will enjoy my interview, disgracing Gale Hawthorne and his precious Mockingjay, if it kills me. If I have to pay for it in blood in the arena._

_"But-"_

_"And, if you and your cousin continued to kiss and it became it's own relationship, well. That would be incest. And if you and your cousin did incest, then your children would have six fingers on one hand."_

_"Miss-"_

_"But if it wasn't your cousin, and you two weren't just pretending to be cousins because she, oh, I don't know, cheated, then six fingers would be a problem and your children wouldn't be social outcasts." Hawthorne's face is as red as the chair I'm leaning back in. I feel a sly, crooked smile replace my mocking smile. But then I put on a pretty, innocent smile and cock my head to the side, awaiting the next question._

_The buzzer goes off and I realize my interview is over. I stand and face the crowd. I bow at the rows of people with gaping mouths, ignore Hawthorne who stares at the floor in utter shock, and turn towards the other tributes. They all nod respectively and I know they enjoyed my scene just as much as I did. I stride towards my seat by Rhinestone. In the complete, cold, bitter silence, he claps his hands as loud as he can. He has a huge grin on his face. He winks and I sit, taking his hand in mine._

"Rhinestone?" I ask, my voice scratchy and weak. Rhinestone's face appears in my view, a hopeful look on his face.

"Rose?" he says.

"We need to move on, don't we?"

"No." he lies.

"I can do it. I know I can."

"I don't doubt that but-"

"Yes. You do doubt me."

"I just don't want you to . . . "

"What? Die? Rhinestone, I'm going to die. It doesn't matter whether it's now or later in the games or after the games." Rhinestone looks at his scarred hands that lay in his lap.

"I know."

"Then why do you keep protecting me? Let me die, Rhinestone." I take his hands. "Please." Rhinestone shakes his head.

"It's not that easy." he says. "You can't come into someone's life, make the biggest difference, and then expect them to just let you die. You can't change someone and then expect them to not fight for the reason that they are who they are. It doesn't work that way, Rose."

Hours later, Rhinestone and I were moving on from our cave dwelling. Rhinestone told e that five kids had died in the lightning storm. Ten tributes left. Eight more deaths until my own.

The arena had been completely reshaped. It wasn't a forest anymore. There were rocky cliffs everywhere. The storm reshaped the arena. All right. I'll admit it. That was pretty good. I'll give you that one, Rebels.

Rhinestone and I had walked for about an hour. "Help me!" the voice of a young girl screams. I stop and look towards the voice. "Get away from me! Please!"

"Keep moving, Rose." Rhinestone says firmly. I start walking towards the voice. A girl with blonde hair wrestles with a boy who is three times her size. The girl has tears running down her face as the boy points his knife at her throat, slowly getting closer to driving it into her neck. I stare at her, my mouth open in horror. As Rhinestone walks up behind me, I catch myself crying. "We have to go, Rose."

"I want to help her." I say quickly, turning to face Rhinestone. His expression is cold.

"We can't. We can't help her."

"Yes we can."

"How?"

I turn back to look at her then say, "We become allies with her. We protect her, make sure she wins. We don't want to win, so we help someone else win."

"Why do you want to help her?" he asks, his voice harsh. I look at the girl again.

"Because she reminds me of Julius when your dad died. Yelling at everyone to get away from him and running from everything because everyone was so worried with their own mourning to stop and help him. Because she reminds me of Amethyst. Because if you don't do something good in the arena, all you are when you die is a pile of bad things. You have to do something good so that there isn't so many bad things, so that your death means something."

"Amorose, no."

"Why not!"

"Because, Amorose!" His face turns soft and his eyes fill with sadness. "We just can't. I can barely keep you alive let alone myself. I don't want to take her in knowing that her whole life is on my shoulders. If she dies, then it's my fault and her family and friends back home can blame me."

"But what if you can protect her? Give her a chance!" I don't wait for his answer. I run towards the girl, bow at the ready. The boy looks up at me and I shoot an arrow right into his forehead.

* * *

><p>The New Arena :: .<p>

I've been to Garden of the Gods and it is truly amazing. (:


	9. You're In My Veins, I Cannot Get You Out

The boy falls backwards instantly. The girl panted as the knife flopped and the hilt landed on her throat. She carefully grabbed the knife and began backing away. "Stay here," I say in a calm voice, staring at the boy.

"What the hell are you doing?" Rhinestone shouts. He runs over to the boy and sets his foot on the boy's chest, bends down, and pulls the arrow from his forehead. Rhinestone stomps over to me, the arrow in his hand raised. This is the first time I've ever seen him mad. At me, that is. "What the hell are you doing?" he repeats, more quietly this time. He looks at the girl out of the corners of his eyes.

"I'm giving her a chance." I say through clenched teeth.

"We can barely keep ourselves alive. You almost died just five hours ago. You think you're ready, let alone, stable enough to put someone else's life in your hands?" The realization of what he said hits me. I'm taken aback and I feel tears pull at my eyes.

"I did what I thought was right." I choke.

"You think what you're doing is right? You can't get her hopes up. You can't hide her from the games."

"I'm not-"

"You're being irresponsible."

"I-" I stutter.

"Are you even hearing me, Rose?"

"Yes, yes. I hear you!" Rhinestone stares down at me. His face softens.

"Okay." he says quietly. He leans in close and whispers, "Don't say anything about helping her win. Not yet. We need to think this through." Rhinestone walks past me. I watch him walk a few paces, then turn to the trembling girl on the ground. She scoots back when I look at her. I force my blood-red lips to smile at the poor girl even though I feel like crying.

"We're not going to hurt you," I say quietly, holding out my hand to help her up. "We just want an alliance."

"Alliance?" she asks in a singsong voice.

I make my smile softer and say, "Exactly. You up for it?" The girl looks me up and down, at my scarred skin that still has blood on it, my bruised chin, my lips, my hair.

"You're president Snow's granddaughter, right?" I nod slowly. She waits a moment before saying, "Okay." She takes my hand and I pull her up. "Thanks for saving me." Rhinestone stands a few paces ahead, watching us. "My name's Vanille. Vanille Faze."

"Amorose Snow," I reply, not taking my eyes off of him. "That's Rhinestone Flaire. He's my best friend." Rhinestone smiles at me. I start walking towards him, and Vanille follows. I stand in front of Rhinestone for a second before he finally wraps his arms around me.

"I'm sorry," he whispers into my ear. "I know you're trying. I . . . I was just hoping that I could still get you out of these games alive. I guess I can't do that if you don't want to win."

"Give it to someone who deserves it." I reply, just as quiet. I know she does; I can see it in her eyes. Besides, I couldn't go back without you and you know that. If you die, I'll go with you." Rhinestone pulls away from me, a sullen smile on his face.

"Thank you," Vanille pipes up, "Rhinestone."

"No problem, kid." He smiles at her, a real smile.

"My name's Vanille." She smiles back. Rhinestone turns and begins walking. I smile at Vanille. I sprint to catch up to Rhinestone. I hold his hand as we walk, Vanille right behind.

Being around Vanille made me think of Amethyst. Of when she was born, of the many promises I made her. Of everything I told her I would protect her from, but can't now. Note to self: Before I die, make sure Julius knows I want him to protect Amethyst. At least until Styles is older. God, I'll miss Julius. I'll miss his smile, the way he walks, how soft he talks to Crimson and Styles but how he tries to act just as old as Rhinestone. I'll miss Amethyst. How she would sit on my lap on the couch and snuggle her head underneath my chin. I'll miss Styles and how he was always there for me always asking me, "What's wrong, Flower?". I'll miss Crimson and how he would hug onto Jewel's legs. I'll miss Jewel and I'll miss my mother.

Being around Vanille made me think of everything I would miss. Of everything I was giving up for her. She reminded me of Amethyst. Of the little sister I would never see ever again, only in my memories . . . .

_I crept quietly up the stairs, a ten year old girl sneaking away from the exhaustion that seeped from my parents and threatened to suffocate me. It was in the air, pulling on my eyelids. I ran my hand along the smooth banister, walking slowly._

_I stood at her door, wondering if she was asleep. A little laugh told me she wasn't. I hesitated, but entered the nursery._

_Mother had insisted the nursery be painted in pink and white stripes because it was simply all the rage and Amethyst would love it. I said paint it purple. My idea was rejected as soon as I said it, as if it made absolutely no sense._

_I pulled a stool over by the crib. Amethyst lay in a mess of blankets, a tiny stuffed chick cradled tightly in her arms. It was from Grandfather. I wanted to yank it from Amethyst's arms and burn it. But that would make her cry and cause a fuss._

_I let my arm dangle into the crib. Amethyst grasped for my hand, her face lit with a fun task. Her hair was a mess of black curls, her eyes a beautiful blue-gray color. It was the color of my eyes, of our father's eyes. Amethyst giggled._

_"I won't let Grandfather hurt you." I whispered. "He won't change you. If he tries to, I will kill him. I don't care if he is the President, I don't care if he's our grandfather. If he lays a finger on you, he will die a painful, horrible death." Amethyst kept reaching for my hand, smiling a toothless smile. "You're lucky you have me, you know? I didn't have a big sister to protect me." I smile at Amethyst as she looks at me, bubbles foaming around her natural nude-colored lips. "I used to have black hair, too. And pale lips. But he changed that. I wasn't good enough." Amethyst stops reaching and lets her arms fall as if she actually understood what I said. I decided to change the subject. I wouldn't scar her, whether or not she could understand me._

_"Rhinestone's mom just had a baby." I said, a wide smile on my face. "His name is Styles. I think you two could be best friends just like me and Rhinestone. Rhinestone is the most wonderful person I've ever known. If Styles is anything like Rhinestone, he'll be a good friend too. Rhinestone protects me from everything. He tries too, at least. He doesn't know about what Grandfather does. He'd freak. No one knows what Grandfather does to me. It's between you and me, 'kay Amethyst?" She smiles and nods her small head. I let her grab my finger and she swings her arm back and forth._

_"What's the secret, Rosebud?"_

_I gasp, looking towards the door. "Dad," I breathed. "You scared me."_

_"Sorry," he said, pulling up another stool and sitting beside me. He pulled me in close. "I think you'll be a good sister."_

_"I will," I said defiantly, looking at Dad. "I have to be."_

"Your sister came to visit me," Rhinestone says that night. We found another cave and Vanille had already been asleep for an hour. She was quick to trust us. "In the Capitol Building."

"Really?" I ask, still upset about my earlier thoughts.

"Yeah. She said that you wouldn't let me protect you. She knew that you wouldn't let me die while you stayed alive. She told me to keep you alive for as long as I could, and then to die with you. She said, "Die a day before her or after her so you don't have to go a day without each other, just like always."

I smiled. Rhinestone had never gone a day without seeing each other. Never. "She's smart for an eight-year-old."

"That's why I didn't want to take Vanille in. I didn't want for you to die and then I'd either have to leave her or leave you. I know it sounds selfish but-"

"You're trying to do want Amethyst wanted." I finish. Rhinestone nods slowly. I look over towards Vanille. "Do we tell her that we want her to win?"

"I think we should. She needs to know what's going on. But like I said, we can't get her hopes up."

* * *

><p><span>What if the next chapter was writtened in Rhinestone's point of view? I don't know if it would be memories, or action, or like what this chapter was or maybe all. Would that be okay? Not sure how long it would be, though . . .<span>


	10. Are We Meant to Be Empty Handed?

Being in the games, I've learned a lot about myself and Rose. I've learned how much I truly loved her, how I wish I would have told her my feelings a long time ago because we might have gotten some time together. I've learned how willing I was to lay down my life for her. I've learned how much I missed my father, how much I loved my mother and my brothers, how much I was worried about them being mistreated and abused by the Rebels. I loved my family and I wanted to be home with them. They knew and understood that I would never come back. I tried my best to explain, but even now their protests and tears that came in the Capitol Building haunt me.

_"I need you to do something for me, Julius." I said, face in my hands. Julius sat beside me on the back of the leather couch. Crimson sat underneath him on the cushions. Styles sat on my knee._

_"What is it?" he said quickly, looking at me. "What it is I . . . " he looked down at the top of Crimson's head, then back at me. "I'll do it." Julius was a brave fourteen year old. He had Dad's black hair and gray eyes, same as me and Styles. Crimson, however, took after Mom, having her brown eyes and hair._

_"I want you to keep Mom safe. Mom and Styles and Crimson."_

_"Come on, man." he faltered. "You're-You're acting like you're not coming back." He stared at me in shock when I didn't answer. "You have to come back! Don't tell me you're giving up just so she can live! Fight for yourself, Rhinestone! Don't protect her. What the hell are you thinking? What the hell did Mom have to say about this?"_

_"She understands."_

_"She can't possibly understand! Does she get that you'll be dead and won't come back? Does she understand that?"_

_"Julius stop." Crimson mumbled, but Julius didn't hear._

_"You can't leave us like Dad did! Do you know what that will do to Mom? What that will do to me and Crimson and Styles?"_

_"Julius stop!" Crimson yelled. Julius, eyes now lit with rage, turned his head slowly towards Crimson._

_"What did you just say?"_

_"He said stop." Styles piped up. "If Rhinestone wants to do that for Amorose, let him. I'd do it for Amethyst." Styles looked at Julius thoughtfully before adding in a sarcastic tone, "And I'm sure you'd do it for Flyleaf Stone."_

_"Shut your mouth you little unloved twerp!" Julius shouted, jumping off the back of the couch and tackling Styles to the floor. "Do you want your brother to die?" he raged on, grabbing Styles's shirt collar and pinning him to the ground. "Do you want to watch Rhinestone die?"_

_"No!" Styles cried, squirming under Julius's weight. "No one does!"_

_"Do you honestly think we want Rhinestone to die?" Crimson asked. Julius jerked his neck towards Crimson._

_"Yeah. The way your acting makes me think you're perfectly comfortable with the idea!" Julius pounded his fist on the floor then pulled Crimson to the ground. The three boys started wrestling._

_"Stop it!" I shouted, standing up. "Cut it out!" They ignored me and kept going, throwing punches, slamming each other onto the ground. I pulled Julius out of the mess and he fought me. "Julius, stop!" Julius settled and leaned back, his chest falling and rising heavily. His face was constricted in confusion, pain, and I think-tears._

_"You can't go." he mumbled. "Please." Crimson and Styles watched Julius break down._

_"Julius, I don't want to." I said, holding my little brother tightly. "I don't want to leave, but it's not like I have a choice."_

_"You do have a choice, Rhinestone! You can decide whether you live or die."_

_"And I've decided to die. On my terms." I look at Crimson and Styles, who are already crawling over to Julius and me._

_"It'll be okay." Styles said._

_"Yeah." Crimson agreed. The four of us stayed together in a mess on the floor until the guards came._

A brisk, cold wind entered the cave and shook me from my memory. A sudden wave of grief and melancholy strikes me as the girls begin to move. I mentally yell at myself for wishing they would have woken up. Nope.

Maybe I should go out and hunt. Rose would freak if she woke up and I was gone. And I can't leave her and Vanille alone. I decide to wake them up. They need their sleep, yes, but we can't stay in one place for too long.

I crawled on my hands and knees over to where Rose slept. I nudged her shoulder with my hand. "Get up, Rose." I say softly. Vanille rolls over as Rose's eyes flutter open. She smiles at me. Oh, God.

We had been walking for 45 minutes when the announcements started.

"Attention, attention all tributes!" the voice boomed throughout the arena. "Please make your way to the Cornucopia. In case you don't know where it is now, it is in the valley. Climb down from the cliffs. If you're thinking about not coming, I suggest reconsidering. There will be . . . family reunions."

Amorose looks at me, and I look at her. "What do they mean?" Vanille asks.

"They couldn't have gotten our families into the arena, could they?" Rose asks. I don't answer. "Rhinestone!" she yells, clapping her hands in front of my face, panic rising in her voice.

"I-I don't know."

"What if they make us fight for our families? What if this is it and the last one gets to keep their family?"

"They can't do that, Rose." I say, pulling her into my arms.

"You don't know what they can do!"

"We have to go," Vanille announces. "We can't not go, right? If they have our families, we need to know." Rose and I look at Vanille, the youngest tribute at twelve years old. She was the first one to be called at the Reaping.

"She's right." I say, sitting and letting my legs dangle over the cliff. I started climbing down, the girls right behind me.

All the other tributes were already at the Cornucopia when we arrived. They all sat in a circle, staring at it, waiting for the announcement. They didn't have our families. Not in the arena, at least.

Vanille, Rose, and I all sat down. No one noticed us, or even looked up at us. "Now that you're all here," the voice says. "We can begin. Here's the deal, kids. You haven't been giving us what we want, and that's a good fight. There's been a few, but that's not good enough. We got one person from your families to speak. You'll hear their voice again. It will echo throughout the arena. Maybe that will give you a reason to fight, because if you don't, we will kill them. We will torture them and kill them, just like the Capitol did to us. Have fun, tributes."

They started playing tracks filled with familiar voices in order of how we were reaped. The first one was Vanille's father.. The people didn't speak much, so it didn't take long before it was my turn. Who would speak?

"Hey, Rhinestone." Julius's voice came in. "I don't know if this is some kind of ploy and I'm just playing you into your death of if you'll even hear this but I don't care. You and Rose, oh man, you guys are kicking ass! Seriously, Rhinestone." Julius waits, then adds in a sarcastic tone, "And according to the Rebels, since I'm a Capitol citizen I have to enjoy watching my brother fight for his life. All Capitol citizens do is watch the Hunger games and then when they're over we just curl up in a ball in the corner and slowly die until the next year. It's not like we pretended to be interested in them because if we didn't we would be killed. But I'm a Capitol citizen, a stereotype, so I love waiting for you to die!" He begins speaking in his regular voice. "I don't. I hate it. I hate just waiting for it to happen." He pauses, and I can hear him draw a deep breath. "Mom, and the boys, and me . . . we're okay. We miss you, but we're okay. We miss Rose, too." Julius's voice starts to strain, and he pauses again. "Please, Rhinestone. Try to stay until the end. I'm not ready, yet." Julius is crying. He's honestly crying. "I can't sleep knowing that you might die the next day, Rhinestone. It's killing me. It's like when Dad died and we didn't know. We hadn't heard from him and the officials said he was just M.I.A but he was dead. I couldn't sleep knowing he was missing. When did this world turn to shit? Remember how happy we were when the Games ended? If only I could talk to you one more time. I love you, man. We all do."

Rose's mom speaks next, but I don't pay attention. If I could kill Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark, I would. If I could go back in time and just kill them before they went into the Games, I would. It's their fault we're in this mess. It's their God awful love affair that made this world the shit hole it is now. I know not everyone was happy the way it was before, but why end something then start it all over again. I would have been perfectly fine with no Hunger Games and letting the Rebels have control, but the Mockingjay Games? Really? How idiotic can you be? With them in charge, this world will be a living Hell within a month.

When I come out of my thoughts, someone is gripping my shoulders. The tracks are done, and the fight had started.

"Rhinestone, come on!" It was Rose who was on my shoulders.

"We have to fight," Vanille says. "Or they'll kill our families!"

I stand and pull my ax from my belt. Rose watches me, then pulls out her bow. Vanille pulls out her knife. There is already a dead body on the ground, a girl. As I stare at her body, a boy runs up behind me and throws his arms around my neck.

"No!" I hear Julius at home scream.

"Get off him!" Rose screams. She pulls the boy from my neck, throwing him to the ground. I whirl around and swing my ax down to the ground, smashing the boy's head in. I pull my ax from him and turn around. Rose draws a bow and starts shooting. "You two go in," she orders. "I'll cover you." I look at Vanille and she nods. We run towards the mob of kids fighting by the Cornucopia, on top of it even. She jumps to the top and starts stabbing. I run to where two boys wrestle. I swing my ax and hit one in the side. He screams and turns around to glare at me. I swing again and hit him in the shoulder this time. The other boy takes the opportunity to run away, but an arrow flies through his neck. The boy pulls out a knife and I almost feel like laughing at him. A tiny knife against a giant ax. I kick the boy in the chest and he falls backward. I stomp on his neck with all my strength until I'm sure he can't get breathe. He gasps for air, eyes bulging from his head, but gets none. I leave him, strutting off to find my next target.

I see Amorose shoot a few people, hitting them in the head or the neck almost every time.

I turn towards the Cornucopia, scouting for Vanille. I see her, standing on top of the Cornucopia, facing off to a girl probably three years older that has blood in the corners of her mouth. I watch Vanille slash her knife across a girl's chest, drive her knife into the girl's heart, then, knife still in the girl, slam her flat onto her back.

_Damn._


	11. When Love Leaves,We're Cursing the Stars

I stopped shooting when I only had six arrows left. I was done. I needed to save the rest so I could take care of the survivors of the fight. Rhinestone was running towards the Cornucopia. He grabbed Vanille by the arm and dragged her down. He started towards me.

"Go!" he shouted, putting his hand on the small of my back and pushing me forward. He let go of Vanille and took my hand.

"How many do you think survived?" I ask.

"It's not over yet," Rhinestone answers. "But hopefully not many. I'm tired of these damn games."

"Same here."

Vanille remained silent as we ran away from the Cornucopia. We slowed down a bit, then completely stopped. Vanille put her hands on her knees and doubled over, panting. Rhinestone squeezed my hand as the two of us looked back towards the Cornucopia. We could still hear screams, but they were slowly dying down. The fight was ending.

At night, Rhinestone and I laid underneath the stars while Vanille slept.

"Do you really think they're okay?" I ask him.

"Our families?" he asks, taking my hand. I nod and look at him. He keeps his eyes on the stars. "Yeah. I know Julius is taking care of Mom and my brothers. I'm sure he's looking after your mom and Amethyst, too."

"They're probably all living together." I say with a laugh. Rhinestone looks at me.

"I love you, Amorose. I'm sorry we have to love like this."

"It's just how we love." I snuggle closer to him. "I love you, too." We laid there until the anouncements came on. 11 tributes had died. There was only me, Vanille, Rhinestone and one other tribute left. My life would be over in a few days.

* * *

><p><em>This chapter was really short because I didn't really know what to write about. Last week I was going to write but I got <strong>really<strong>sick so I couldn't. The next chapter will be the last. After that, I think I might start a FINNICK/JOHANNA fanfic._

**_MY FRIEND GOT TICKETS TO THE HUNGER GAMES! Me, her, her sister, her mom, another one of my friends are all going together! Eeep! I wonder if people will dress up. I told my friend I was going to wear wings and dress up as the Mockingjay._**


	12. You Were the First Love I Lost

"Goodbye tributes." the announcer finishes. "One of you will soon be the winner of the first ever Mockingjay Games. Good luck and- in a bad, fake Capitol accent, "-may the odds be ever in your favor."

"It's almost over." Rhinestone sighs, squeezing my hand. He pulls me closer to him and wraps his arms around me. He kisses the top of my head. I close my eyes for a moment, positive that This is how I want to die: in Rhinestone's arms.

"I know." I reply, snuggling my head against his chest. "I'm kind of . . . scared."

"Of course you are, Rose. We never thought we'd die at 18."

"I know but Who's going to take care of our families if we're aren't there?"

"Julius will."

"He can't take care of both of our families, Rhinestone. It's too much."

"Like you said, Rose. They're probably all living together. If not, they should be. They can all take care of each other. Julius will stand up and take charge. I know he will. And if he doesn't, I'll come back from the dead and haunt him." I laugh then. I feel like I'm forcing Julius to grow up. He's only, what? 14? He shouldn't have to take care of two mourning families. What about his mourning? Will he be able to if he's taking care of everyone else?

"Are you scared?" I ask, looking at Rhinestone.

"Yeah. No one wants to die and leave their family. I won't get to watch my brothers grow up. There's a lot of things I'll miss because I'm not there. But I know Mom will stay strong and hold herself and the rest of the family together. And I know Julius will be helping her. I know everything will be alright, one way or another."

"I just don't know. I saw how my mom reacted when Dad died. I had to step up and take care of everything. I still do."

"Well," Rhinestone says. "Everything will be alright, Amorose. For both of our families and for us."

* * *

><p>It had been at least three days since the big fight. There were only four tributes left. It was Rhinestone, myself, Vanille, and another boy. Vanille was beginning to trust us a lot more than she had. She was against the idea of Rhinestone and me dying, insisting that we couldn't because we were like family to her now.<p>

"Why take me in if you were just going to leave me? Whoever else is out there, I can't beat them on my own!"

"Yes, you can." Rhinestone says as he starts a fire. We had found another little cave to make home in. It was surrounded by thick forest.

"But why? Why do you have to die?"

"Because these are the Mockingjay Games," I say. "And that's how the Games work."

"But the Rebels ended the Games! Why have something just as bad as the Games? Do they know how stupid that is?"

"Watch what you're saying." Rhinestone inquires. "It could get you killed."

"I am going to die! That boy out there will kill me as soon as he knows you two are dead."

"Vanille,"

"No, Rhinestone!" With that, Vanille stomped off into the woods. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"What were we thinking?" I ask him.

"You were thinking about doing the right thing." I glare at him. Rhinestone stands and walks over to me. He wraps me in his arms, lifting me off my feet, and my gut wrenches. I start crying. Rhinestone pulls away and bends down so he can look me in the eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to die, Rhinestone." I cry. "I'm sick of all the blood on our clothes. I'm sick of looking at you and seeing so much blood on you. I miss my family. I want to see Amethyst get married and have kids. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. I don't want to leave my family behind."

"It's not too late. You can still win."

"No, Rhinestone, I can't. If I won, the Rebels would torture me. I know it." Rhinestone doesn't say anything. He knows it's true. "My family will miss me. What if the Rebels get a hold of them?"

"They won't. I swear."

"You don't know. I'd rather rot in Hell with my grandfather then have my family tortured because of some stupid mistake I made!"

"Shut up, Rose." he whispers quickly while shaking his head. "Just shut up. You're worrying too much. Nothing will happen to them." Rhinestone wraps his arms around me again. He whispers in my ear, "What if we started a rebellion even more powerful than the one Peeniss made?" He pulls back and smiles at me, his gray eyes sparkling.

"Do you really think we could?"

"I think we already have." I smile wide. "I can feel it in my bones." Rhinestone leans in to whisper, "I know it because we're so much better and so much more real than Peeniss." He leans back and I cup his face in my hands. I pull him to me and our lips crash together. I close my eyes in pleasure. If there really is a rebellion going on back home, maybe Amethyst and Mom and Rhinestone's family will be okay. What if the Capitol citizens are fighting back? My death, Rhinestone's death, they will mean something.

* * *

><p>"I'm going out hunting." Rhinestone says later that night. It was getting dark, but the moon was like a huge nightlight, illuminating the arena as if it was daylight.<p>

"No." I say. I sat by Vanille, my legs curled up to my chest and my arms around her.

"Why not?" he asks. "We're starving."

"Yes. But there's four left. You'll get killed out there." He gives me a that's-the-point look. I look at Vanille. She's not even paying attention. I stand and walk over to Rhinestone.

"What's the matter with you?" I ask him, whispering furiously.

"We need to stop playing. We're not going to win, so why go parading around like we are?"

"You're right. Go hunting, fine. But don't die. Not yet. I'm not ready for you to die."

"I won't. I promise." Rhinestone grabs his ax and kisses me. "I'll be back. You can count on it."

"Okay. Be careful." I say as he turns to leave. I watch as he walks into the woods and take a deep breath as he begins to disappear.

* * *

><p>"Shouldn't he have been back by now?" Vanille asks. It had been two hours since Rhinestone left and he still wasn't back.<p>

"Yes." I answer. I stand in the entrance to the cave, waiting for Rhinestone. I started worrying ten minutes after he left. Vanille tried to calm me, but it was not use.

"Hello tributes," the announcer's voice came on. "I hope you all are having fun. Here's who have died today."

Did Rhinestone kill that boy? Is that why he's taking so long?

A picture of a boy with black hair and gray eyes flashed above the arena. Underneath the picture was his name. Rhinestone Flaire.

"No. No, no, no." I say. Tears start pouring from my eyes. He promised he'd come back. He promised. I run my fingers through my hair and begin to pace.

"Amorose? What's wrong?"

"I've got to go." I say. I walk to where she sits and bend down. I lift her chin with my finger and kiss her fore head. "This will all be over soon. You'll be home in a few hours." Vanille cocks her head to the side in confusion as I start to leave.

"Amorose, no!" she yells, running to the entrance of the cave, understanding what I'm doing. I was already halfway through the forest.

I ran as fast as I could. "Rhinestone!" I shout. Maybe there was a mistake. Maybe he still is alive. Maybe it's a trick the Game Makers have come up with. As I run, My red curls fly behind me like flames. "Rhinestone! Rhinestone, please!" This couldn't be happening. Not now. Not like this. I told him not to go. Why did he go? Why did I let him go? I'm not ready to lose him! Where could he be?

I skid to a stop as soon as I see him. "No, no, no." I mumble. I push my hair behind my ears as I fall to me knees beside him. "No, Rhinestone!" I cry, shaking him. I press my hand against his cheek. My vision is blurred with tears. "Rhinestone, please! Stay with me! You have to stay with me!" I put my ear against his chest, right above his heart. Nothing. "Come back to me." I sound so broken. Rhinestone's neck is slit and he has cuts all over him. I can tell he put up a fight. I stroke Rhinestone's hair. I hold his bloody hand. His eyes are closed. I squeeze mine shut to block the tears but they still come.

"The Rebels did this. They think they're better than us." I say, keeping my eyes on Rhinestone but addressing everyone back home. "We were only faking so we could stay alive! I've seen dozens of Capitol citizens die because they were protesting against the Games. One man from the Districts fell in love with a Capitol woman once. He tried to convince the Districts of the true Capitol people, but they didn't listen. The people in his district stormed his house, burned it down, and killed him. The Rebels are just as cruel as they thought the Capitol was. With Katniss Everdeen as their very own President Snow. I hope you Rebels have learned something. I hope you've learned about the real Capitol people. And I hope you remember what you've learned and use it to do at least one good thing. If my being in the Games has meant anything, it has meant that Capitol citizens are not monsters. We're just victims. Victims of President Snow and victims of the Rebels." I close my eyes, hoping that the cameras were on me. I hope Rhinestone and I sparked a rebellion. I hope Katniss Everdeen gets assassinated. She deserves it. All the rebels do.

I kiss Rhinestone one last time. His lips are cold and pale. More tears come as I pull my lips from him.

"I'm sorry." a weak, shaky voice says. My head shoots up towards the voice. It's the boy who killed Rhinestone. He doesn't look much older than Vanille. "I'm so so sorry. I don't even want to win these Games. I don't want to go back home a murderer! I'm so scared. My mom and my sisters, they won't be able to look at me. I'll probably rot in Hell for all this. I'm sorry about your friend. I really am. He told me to do it. He said that you two wanted the girl to win and that he wouldn't be able to stand it if it was the three of you and he had to kill you. So I did it! I didn't want to but he asked me too!"

"It's okay." I say, more tears roll down my cheeks as I stand to face the boy. "You did the right thing. I don't want to win either."

"I've got a knife." he suggests. "If you kill me, I'll kill you." I look back at Rhinestone's lifeless body.

Die a day before her or after her so you never have to go a day without each other. Wasn't that what Amethyst told Rhinestone?

I look back at the hopeful boy. "Deal." I pull my knife from my pocket and walk slowly towards the boy. "You first." I say. He nods.

"Are you sure?" he asks.

"Yes." The boy closes his eyes. I look him up and down for a moment. "What's your name?" I ask him.

"Julian." He keeps his eyes closed but smiles.

"Amorose." I say, lifting my knife to his chest.

"Nice to meet you, Amorose." He takes a deep breath. "I'm ready."

I take a deep breath as well. This is wrong. This is so wrong. I dig my knife into his chest. Julian winces, but doesn't scream as I take the knife out. He chokes for a minute but eventually he stabs me, right in the heart.

I fall backwards, tumbling down in a blur. Julian pulls the knife as I fall. My body thumps to the ground close to Rhinestone. I use my last bit of strength to crawl close to him and tangle our bodies together. This is how I want to die. This is how I'm going to die.

I choke for breath, my every muscle in pain. My heart tries to pump blood as my body shuts down, but it doesn't work. I try to tell it to stop, but it keeps going. I try to tell it this is what I want, but it keeps going. My chest heaves. "This is it, Rhinestone." I say, barely even audible. All of the colors of the arena mesh together. Everything is a blur. Time slows down all around me and all that I'm aware of are the sounds of the Arena.

"AMOROSE!" I hear Vanille shouting. "AMOROSE! PLEASE!" Vanille shouts my name for some number of minutes. It pains me even more to hear her voice so desperate for me to be alive.

"Vanille Faze," I hear the announcer say before I'm even truly dead. "You have won the first Mockingjay Games! Congratulations! Stay right there. You're going home."

"No! Amorose! Rhinestone!" I hear helicopter blades pounding, but it all fades away.

* * *

><p>They say when you die, your life flashes before your eyes. But it's not flashes, it's full-length scenes. I see everything clearly as if I'm living it again.<p>

**I saw the day Rhinestone and I met when we were three. We were in the market.**

_"You can't take that." I said when I saw him slip an apple into his pocket._

_"What do you know?" he asked in a snobby way._

_"I know that you didn't pay for that. That's stealing."_

_"What are you going to do? Tell my mommy?"_

_"Nope. I'll tell President Snow."_

_"Oh, yeah. Because you two are best friends! Yeah, right." He threw his head back in laughter then doubled over. I just crossed my arms across my chest and smiled slyly._

_"No. We're not. But I am his granddaughter." Rhinestone stopped laughing. He set the apple back and started off. But I wasn't done. "Wait!" I ran after him. He turned around looking rather annoyed._

_"What?"_

_"We should be friends." He looked surprised._

_"Why?"_

_"Because you seem nice, even though you just tried to steal something." Rhinestone cocked his head to the side in confusion. "I can see the real you."_

_"Okay. I guess we can try. What's your name?"_

_"Amorose."_

_"Okay, Rosie. My name's Rhinestone."_

**I saw the day Rhinestone stopped calling me Rosie when we were 16.**

_"What are you doing, Rose?" he asked, leaning over my shoulder to see what I was sketching._

_"Trying to draw a flower." I continued drawing, Rhinestone still watching. I leaned back and looked at him. "Rose?" I asked. "What happened to Rosie?"_

_"You're too pretty for Rosie now." I smiled at him._

**I saw a lot of things. I saw the day my father died, the day my grandfather died, the first day he hit me. But then I started seeing something completely different. I started seeing what was going on right now at home.**

_Amethyst was cradled in my mother's lap. "She can't be dead." Amethyst repeats over and over again, shaking. Mom strokes Amethyst's hair and rocks her back and forth saying, "It'll be okay, baby."_

_Beside Mom, Jewels holds Styles. "Don't look, sweetie." she whispers. Julius sits on the back of the couch, watching the screen in horror. His hands are over Crimson's eyes who sits between Julius's knees on the cushions._

_"What's going on?" Crimson asks._

_"Nothing, buddy. I'll tell you later."_

**Then I started seeing the life I would've lived if Rhinestone and I were not reaped.**

_Rhinestone and I would've watched the Games together. Anytime something gory happened, he would've wrapped his arms around me and whispered how it would all be alright. We would love each other, and eventually get married. I saw Amethyst and Styles's wedding. I saw my wedding. I saw the children that Rhinestone and I would've had. I saw Julius and Crimson all older with their own children. I saw my mother and Rhinestone's mother, cooing over their grand kids. I could've had a beautiful life. I would've had a wonderful life._

* * *

><p>"Amorose?" I hear. I open my eyes. All around me it's white and misty. Rhinestone stands above me, hands on his knees. "I'm sorry." he says, an apologetic smile on his beautiful face. I jump up and hug him.<p>

"You should be. You promised me."

"I know. I know. And I'm sorry."

I pull away from Rhinestone. He looks perfect, alive and well, no cuts or scars. No slit neck. "None of that matters. We're together, and that's all that counts." I say. Rhinestone kisses me. We wrap our arms around one another.

"This must be Heaven," Rhinestone says. "Because I'm alone with the angel I've always loved. It doesn't even matter that I'm dead." We press our fore heads together, laughing and smiling.

* * *

><p>Another rebellion came up that year, one that Rhinestone and I sparked, this time of the Capitol citizens. It was led by Julius, now fifteen year old and even more of a man than I'd ever seen him. He had taken care of both of our families while they mourned and now he was a brave leader. Julius seemed exactly the same as before, thank God. He was still kind and understanding, fighting for something that would improve the lives of our familes.<p>

The Capitol citizens fought hard, and eventually they did kill Katniss Everdeen. Her husband, Peeta, was taken hostage. Katniss's 'cousin', Gale, made sure their child was safe with him while Peeta was a hostage. The Capitol citizens used him to bargain. They said the Rebels could have Peeta if everyone could live equally. The deal was made, and Julius became president of New Panem.

Because of Julius, many of the District citizens realized how wrong they were about people from the Capitol. They became aware of how we were forced to enjoy the Hunger Games, pretend that we love them. That we used our clinical operations to hide our fear and our emotions. That if we didn't participate in the Hunger Games, we would be killed. The District citizens now know that they were they cruel ones, not us.

Julius got rid of the Districts, merging them all and forgetting about the separation. There were no more Districts, just open space where anyone, Capitol or District, could live. He built himself a huge estate in the middle of New Panem where he and our families lived. Julius got married to one of his old classmates named Claudia. Crimson started working as a Peace Maker and married a girl named Mae. Styles and Amethyst got married as well. Rhinestone and I had fun attending the weddings in spirit.

Vanille was always haunted by the events of the Games. When she was in the helicopter flying out of the arena, she saw the corpses of Rhinestone and I. She tried to throw herself out of the helicopter. Vanile became famous, but was driven to insanity. She was put into a mental facility but now lives with her daughter, Amorose, and her sister. Vanille says if she has another child, and it's a boy, she'll name him Rhinestone.

There were never any more Hunger Games or Mockingjay Games. Julius was the best president the citizens of the old Panem had ever seen. Rhinestone and I were proud of him.

Rhinestone and I had our own little wedding in Heaven. We we strictly told that we could be married, but we couldn't have children. It was just impossible. We've made our own little peaceful existence here and we love it, just like we love each other. We don't grow old, and we are actually very busy. We were given the jobs of going to New Panem and helping other people find love. We live in the bodies of people close to the lovers and make them come together, just like we came together.

Rhinestone and I are almost always with our family, even though they don't know it. We watch them, help them, and protect them. Everyday, we're glad that we died together, even if that meant we lost a lot of people. No matter what, we still have each other and now we never have to worry about losing each other.

* * *

><p>Oh look! I drew Rhinestone and Amorose(: The link won't work so message me if you want to see it or go to:<br>sydney xx faith . deviant art . com (no spaces), gallery, I'm Sick of All the Blood On Our Clothes

I'm kind of sad that this story's over but it's okay. Now I'll start the Johanna and Finnick story. Woo.


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